John 1:29-34 Would I Know Him?

Observation: at the beginning of John's Gospel, before Jesus says a word for himself, he gets a pretty stirring introduction from John the Baptist. John calls him "Lamb of God" and "Son of God." He says Jesus ranks ahead of him because he was before him (which he must have meant in a spiritual sense, because John was in fact older than Jesus and began his ministry first). He claims the Holy Spirit has descended on Jesus and remained there. But also, twice John claims "I myself did not know him." This is weird, because at least according to the synoptic Gospels, they are related--their mothers are cousins--and John famously jumped in his mother's womb when the two pregnant women got together. This is a mystery, but just taking an educated guess, maybe John means he previously didn't know Jesus for who he is--God's Son, the Word made flesh--and now that he does, he's making up for lost time. 

Application: Above is a rendering of Jesus as he might have appeared in the first century, based on remains of first-century men of that time, and men who are native to the region today. We know almost nothing about Jesus' appearance, except that apparently he looked similar enough to his disciples that Judas had to kiss him in front of the temple guards so they'd know it was him. My point is: I'm not sure anyone, even his closest relatives, would have known who he is--who he really is--just by looking at him. John admits he didn't. 

And if even Jesus' family didn't know him when he was physically there with them, I'm pretty sure all of us two thousand years later will need some serious guidance from the Holy Spirit to know him in the ways he shows up in our lives today. Christians seem pretty excited to point to something we like and announce to the world, "Here is Jesus, this is his doing!" But that's a risky thing to do. I'd even say that we can't know Jesus--where he shows up in our lives--without God the Holy Spirit revealing him to us. I'm sure we'd all like to believe we would have been the special ones, like John, who would have been smart or observant enough to know him for who he is. But without God's help, it just does not happen, then or now. 

Prayer: Jesus, help me to know you, both in the places you have promised to show up--when your followers gather, when the Good News and your Meal is shared, and when the poor are cared for--but also in the places where faith helps me see you in my daily life. Amen.